By Una GalaniThe author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

Foreign acquirers have long-struggled to make headway in Japan. That makes Applied Material’s recent takeover of Tokyo Electron an interesting case study. The U.S. tech firm wooed its smaller rival with an all-stock merger and the promise of shared governance. However, the model may not work so easily elsewhere.

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

The country’s economic rise is built on cheap finance. But with debt nearing 200 percent of GDP and much investment wasted, the foundations are looking shaky. “The East is Red” examines the origins of the boom, the current strains, and the painful choices China now faces.

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

China’s internet dealmakers are on a defensive offensive. Tencent’s $448 million purchase of a stake in search engine Sogou from its owner, U.S.-listed Sohu, is the latest attempt to stop competitors snapping up a bite-sized competitor. When cash is abundant and investors forgiving, that kind of land grab can turn into a value mudslide.

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Larry Summers is smart enough to have decided to avoid a battle over the chairmanship of the Federal Reserve. Despite the support of embattled U.S. President Barack Obama, the former Treasury chief faced opposition from both liberal Democrats and plenty of his dismal scientist peers. Summers says it’s better for the economic recovery not to have the fight. That may be true – unless his exit from the race opens new fissures.

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

When Apple launched its new iPhone 5C, the joke was that the C stood for “Cheap” and “China”. It’s true that the latest model is less expensive and will work on China Mobile’s upgraded network. But at more than $700, it’s still too expensive to appeal to the masses. Apple will need to do more to reverse its status as an also-ran in the world’s largest smartphone market.

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Big Oil has a growth addiction. The industry pours billions of dollars into projects with marginal returns to keep production rising. But the oil majors’ huge size means even huge new fields barely move the needle. Petroleum bosses would do better to follow Royal Dutch Shell, and ditch output targets. The best option may be to plan for shrinkage.

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

Apple has given the finger to the skeptics. That’s not obvious from the stock price, which slid 2.2 percent – knocking some $10 billion off the company’s market capitalization – after Chief Executive Tim Cook and his colleagues unveiled two new iPhone models on Tuesday. But with this round of upgrades, Apple may have just started a mobile payments revolution.

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

Suntory is paying up to quench its thirst for overseas growth. The newly-listed Japanese firm wants to double its sales by 2020, partly through foreign acquisitions. To help achieve that goal, it’s paying GlaxoSmithKline 1.4 billion pounds ($2.1 billion) in cash for British brands Lucozade and Ribena. That’s a big premium to reduce its exposure to a tough domestic market.

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